Contact-tracing mobile phone apps have the potential to play a role in controlling
the spread of COVID-19, but their success hinges on widespread uptake by the public. We
report a study that behaviourally pre-tested COVID Tracker, Ireland’s contact-tracing app,
prior to its launch with a large sample of smartphone users. The study was funded by the
Department of Health and run in co-operation with the app’s developers, NearForm.
Participants were randomised to receive different versions of a…
Behavioural Insights Projects
Discover projects applying behavioural science to policy from around the world. Add your own projects, whether completed or still ongoing, to contribute knowledge on BI applications across different countries, policy areas, and topics of interest.
Number of BI projects:
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Legend: Projects status
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- Completed project
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The Environment Act 1986 established the Ministry for the Environment (MfE), which is the primary adviser of the New Zealand Government on environmental matters. The purpose statement for the MfE is “A flourishing environment for every generation – He taiao tōnui mō ngā reanga katoa [te reo version, the indigenous language of the Māori people].
MfE is actively engaged in reducing waste across the country, as illustrated by the recent Aotearoa New Zealand Waste Strategy. To lead by…
To support federal response efforts, Impact Canada is leading the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Behavioural Insights (BI) Tool on COVID-19 in the Canadian context. This work is being led in collaboration with the Public Opinion Research Team within the Privy Council Office’s (PCO) Communications and Consultation Secretariat, which supports the Prime Minister’s Office in coordinating government communications in accordance with key priorities.
Insights garnered will…
Challenge
At San Francisco State University, 18% of students drop out by the end of their first year, mostly for reasons unrelated to their academic achievements. The goal was to increase the number of first-year college students returning for their second year.
Design
To help first-year students understand that the challenges they faced were neither unique to them nor evidence of personal failure, all incoming first-year students at SF State were asked to watch a three-minute video in which…
The project involves a consultancy to diagnose and strengthen the behavioral incentive strategies of the Periodic Economic Benefits (BEPS) program by COLPENSIONES.
Key Components:
- Behavioral Diagnosis: Identify cognitive, social, and structural barriers limiting participation and savings in BEPS.
- Analysis of Current Strategies: Evaluate the effectiveness of existing behavioral incentives, such as nudges, rewards, and simplification mechanisms.
- Design of Recommendations: Propose…
Challenge
Students in low-income districts are less likely to sign up to take the Gifted and Talented (G&T) admissions test than their peers in higher-income districts. As a result, fewer students from low-income districts test into and attend G&T programs that could improve educational outcomes and provide meaningful opportunities. To the extent that the city may use sign-up rates as an indicator of demand, and thus where additional G&T programs should be located, low sign-up rates can mean…
In keeping with current thinking on violence prevention, the Violence Prevention Initiative @Schools (VPI@Schools) project focuses on strengthening protective factors for those learners most at risk of being victims of violence and reducing risk factors for those learners most at risk of perpetrating violence. Using a behaviourally informed project, the direct aim of the VPI@Schools project is to help learners develop alternative, positive automatic responses and change their beliefs and norms…
How does information on the job market affect the expectations and preferences of
pupils in pre-vocational education?
A large online platform for career development and career counselling
provided pupils who were attending pre-vocational colleges with
information on the career prospects of professions in which they are
interested. This information resulted in pupils revising their expectations,
and made them more likely to aim for jobs with better career prospects.
PROJECT SUMMARY
To increase uptake of flu vaccines and maintain a healthy workforce during the 2016-17 flu season, New York City’s Behavioral Design Team (NYC BDT) partnered with WorkWell NYC to design behaviorally informed emails to encourage New York City employees to visit a worksite flu clinic. One version of the redesigned email used the strategy of “enhanced active choice,” whereby employees were prompted to make a choice that had a clear right answer.
IMPACT
Behavioral emails more…